About Nordic Ecolabelled Textiles, hides/skins and leather Version 4.13 Background to ecolabelling 12 January 2021 Content 1 Summary 4 2 Introduction 5 3 Facts about the criteria 5 3.1 Products which can be Nordic Swan Ecolabelled 5 3.2 Motives for the Nordic Swan Ecolabelling of Textiles, hides/skins and leather 6 3.3 The criteria document’s version and period of validity 9 3.4 The Nordic Market 9 3.5 Other Ecolabelling of Textiles, hides/skins and leather 10 4 About the revision 15 4.1 The aim of the revision 15 4.2 About this revision 15 5 Motives for the requirements 15 5.1 The textiles market and textile fibres 15 5.2 The impact of textiles, hides/skins and leather on the environment and health 21 5.3 Ethical problems 29 6 Background for the requirements 30 6.1 The relationship to the EU Ecolabel 30 6.2 The relationship to GOTS 31 6.3 Product group definition 31 6.4 Information about the product 35 6.5 Production of fibres 38 6.6 Paddings/Fillings 53 6.7 Other materials 54 6.8 Textile chemicals 55 6.9 Hide and leather chemicals 67 6.10 Finishing and mounting 71 6.11 Emissions 77 6.12 Energy and water consumption 79 6.13 Packaging, storage and transportation 81 6.14 Quality and functionality requirements 82 6.15 Labelling of the product 86 6.16 Ethical requirements 86 6.17 Requirements for environmental and quality assurance 91 7 Future criteria 92 8 References 92 039 Textiles, hides/skins and leather, version 4.13, 12 January 2021. This document is a translation of an original in Norwegian. In case of dispute, the original document should be taken as authoritative. Addresses In 1989, the Nordic Council of Ministers decided to introduce a voluntary official ecolabel, the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. These organisations/companies operate the Nordic ecolabelling system on behalf of their own country’s government. For more information, see the websites: Denmark Iceland This document may Ecolabelling Denmark Ecolabelling Iceland only be copied in its Danish Standard Foundation Umhverfisstofnun entirety and without Göteborg Plads 1, DK-2150 Nordhavn Suδurlandsbraut 24 any type of change. Fischersgade 56, DK-9670 Løgstør IS-108 Reykjavik Tel. +45 72 300 450 Tel. +354 591 20 00 It may be quoted from [email protected] [email protected] provided that Nordic www.ecolabel.dk www.svanurinn.is Ecolabelling is stated as the source. Finland Norway Sweden Ecolabelling Finland Ecolabelling Norway Ecolabelling Sweden Urho Kekkonens gata 4-6 E Henrik Ibsens gate 20 Box 38114 FI-00100 Helsinki NO-0255 Oslo SE-100 64 Stockholm Tel. +358 9 61 22 50 00 Tel. +47 24 14 46 00 Tel. +46 8 55 55 24 00 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.ecolabel.fi www.svanemerket.no www.svanen.se Textiles, hides/skins and leather 3 (92) Nordic Ecolabelling 039/4.13 12 January 2021 Background document 1 Summary The environmental impact from the production of textiles, hides/skins and leather is linked to the production of the raw material itself, i.e. the fibre or hide, and to the various processes involved, such as dyeing, spinning, tanning and finishing. In recent years, the textile industry has received more attention relating to environmental impact and ethical conditions, and several reports show that the environmental and ethical problems in textile production can be great. By labelling textiles, hides/skins and leather with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, Nordic Ecolabelling wishes to show consumers that it is possible to produce products in a more environmentally friendly and health-conscious way, and thereby guide consumers towards choices that are better for the environment. Nordic Swan Ecolabelling’s criteria for textiles were first adopted in 1994, and in the revision to version 3 (adopted March 2004) it was also decided that hides/skins and leathers should be incorporated into the product group. In addition, it was decided that the Nordic Ecolabel’s requirements should be partially harmonised with the EU Ecolabel’s criteria for textiles. This attitude is maintained in the consultation paper for textiles, hides/skins and leather version 4, and several of the requirements can therefore be documented with a valid EU Ecolabel certificate. Throughout the revision, focus has been placed on preparing a background document that describes the environmental impact of the textile and clothing industry. This provides the basis for the requirements that are set. There has been a dialogue with licensees, the authorities, NGOs and other interested parties, and experts within different areas, throughout the revision work. Several changes have been made to the requirements in version 4. One of the most significant changes is to move away from requiring that natural fibres, such as cotton, linen and hemp, shall be organically certified. For cotton, there should still be a percentage of the cotton that is organic. Other significant changes are: • Clarification and change in the product group definition regarding which products can be labelled. Among other things, products treated with flame retardants cannot be labelled. • Requirements for traceability and the legal extraction of raw materials for regenerated fibres. • Absolute requirements for water consumption during the tanning of hides/skins. • Requirements for the content of lead, cadmium and nickel in metal parts and reflector strips. • Requirements for dyes are extended with the prohibition of, among other things, environmental hazard classification. • Introduction of animal ethics requirements, with a prohibition against mulesing and the use of down and feathers from live birds. • Introduction of requirements for foam materials such as latex and PUR. • Introduction of requirements for prohibition of substances on the REACH candidate list, the use of fluorinated organic compounds and nano particles in finishing. Textiles, skins/hides and leather 4(92) Nordic Ecolabelling 039/4.13 12 January 2021 Background document 2 Introduction The Nordic Swan Ecolabel’s version 4 of the criteria for Textiles, hides/skins and leather covers the ecolabelling of products that include clothing, accessories, home textiles, fibre, yarn and fabric, as well as hides/skins and leather. In the previous version of the Nordic Swan Ecolabel’s criteria for textiles, it was decided that the Nordic Ecolabel should harmonise most requirements with the EU Ecolabel’s criteria for textiles. In addition, the Nordic Ecolabel should set some extra requirements, including regarding the organic production of vegetable fibres, as well as requirements regarding working conditions. The harmonisation with the EU Ecolabel’s requirements is also maintained in version 4 of the Nordic Swan Ecolabel criteria for textiles, hides/skins and leather, but the Nordic Ecolabel still sets additional requirements for the farming of cotton, as well as ethical requirements linked to animal welfare and working conditions at the production sites. The Nordic Ecolabel’s additional requirements have been evaluated during the revision, and options to make the application process easier have been evaluated, for example by harmonising the requirements with other labelling schemes such as GOTS. During the revision work on the Nordic Swan Ecolabel’s criteria version 4, it was decided that the textile criteria for the EU Ecolabel that were adopted in 2009 are going to be revised again. The revision of the EU Ecolabel started in the autumn of 2011. This document describes the background for the requirements that have been set in version 4 of the criteria. 3 Facts about the criteria 3.1 Products which can be Nordic Swan Ecolabelled The criteria include products from textile fibres, hides/skins and leather, and a combination of these. The term 'Textiles, hides/skins and leather' refers to: • Apparel and accessories, for example trousers, shirts, jackets, underwear, handkerchiefs, scarves, bags and purses. • Furnishing fabrics, i.e. textiles produced for use and interior decoration in the home (including cars/boats), such as towels, bedding, curtains, tablecloths, rugs, cushions, duvets and upholstery. • Fibres, yarn and fabric, including durable non-woven, which are to be used in textiles for clothing and accessories or in furnishing fabrics as mentioned above. ‘Durable non-woven’ refers to products that can be reused and washed. • Hide and leather products, such as jackets, trousers or bags, and hides/skins and leather as raw materials for clothing or home furnishings, (cars/boats), from the following species of animal: sheep, goat, ox, horse, pig, elk, deer and reindeer. Both products for private and public use can carry the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. The textiles can be made from new fibres and/or recycled fibres. Textiles, skins/hides and leather 5(92) Nordic Ecolabelling 039/4.13 12 January 2021 Background document The following products and materials cannot be ecolabelled in accordance with the criteria for textiles, hides/skins and leather: • Mineral fibre, glass fibre, metal fibre, carbon fibre and other inorganic fibres • Products or materials that are treated with flame retardants. This also applies to flame retardants that are integrated in the product or material • Wall coverings, such as textile wallpapers • Advertising materials, banners, roll-ups • Disposable products. ‘Disposable products’ refers to products that cannot be washed/cleaned or reused • Products containing electronic components • Products containing perfume or other fragrances Products that can be ecolabelled in accordance with other Nordic Swan Ecolabelling criteria are not covered by the textile criteria. Examples include: • Disposable products made from non-woven material that cannot be washed or reused, for example kitchen paper and cleaning cloths (criteria for soft paper) • Disposable products such as cotton pads for personal care (criteria for hygiene products) • Wet wipes (criteria for cosmetics) • Floor coverings, such as wall-to-wall carpets (criteria for flooring) • Textile products that form part of a piece of furniture, e.g.